In a major twist ahead of the 2027 presidential race, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum has publicly distanced itself from an emerging opposition coalition championed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, the Forum, during its meeting in Ibadan on Monday, made it clear that it would not be part of any alliance targeting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election. This decision further deepens the rift within the PDP, particularly as the Forum also threw its weight behind Deputy National Secretary Setonji Koshoedo as Acting National Secretary—fueling the ongoing tussle over who truly holds that office.
Atiku recently unveiled plans for a grand opposition front, rumored to involve heavyweights like Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai. The coalition’s mission? To unseat Tinubu in 2027.
This comes hot on the heels of El-Rufai’s dramatic exit from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing the ruling party’s alleged collapse of internal democracy under Tinubu’s leadership.
Meanwhile, SDP’s former presidential candidate, Adewale Adebayo, confirmed that talks were ongoing with Atiku and Obi to formally join the party, promising a strong alliance capable of defeating the APC. On his part, NNPP’s Buba Galadima claimed El-Rufai was merely acting as Atiku’s stand-in within the SDP in case PDP denies him the presidential ticket.
With PDP governors pulling away and internal party tensions rising, the path to 2027 is already looking like a high-stakes chessboard.